Cebu Prosecutor's Office Moves Forward with Grave Slander Case Against Commentator
The Cebu City Prosecutor's Office has officially recommended the filing of a grave slander case against commentator Edward Ligas. This decision comes after a thorough review found sufficient evidence to support a complaint lodged by a contractor, Jerome Awit, who was implicated by Ligas in an alleged substandard P127-million riprap project in Mandaue City.
Prosecutor's Resolution and Legal Grounds
In a joint resolution dated February 13, 2026, and approved by Deputy Prosecutor Maria Theresa Calibugan-Casiño, the office declared there is a reasonable certainty of conviction against Ligas for grave slander. However, the prosecutor dismissed related complaints for slander by deed and cyber libel due to a lack of adequate basis. The three complaints were filed by Jerome Awit, president and director of ZLREJ Trading and Construction Corp., who accused Ligas of repeatedly linking him to the purportedly substandard riprap project in Barangay Maguikay, Mandaue City.
Contractor's Allegations and Public Statements
Awit expressed satisfaction with the prosecutor's findings, stating, "I am pleased that the Office of the Prosecutor saw the truth in my complaint. I always bring my issues to court rather than social media." He added that his lawyer is aware of the next steps regarding the dismissed complaints. According to Awit, Ligas publicly humiliated him during an anti-corruption protest on September 14, 2025, by displaying a large caricature of his face next to a politician under the title "Hall of Shame." During the rally, Ligas allegedly mentioned Awit's name repeatedly and connected it to the project, with similar actions occurring at another protest in Cebu on September 21, 2025. The following day, Ligas posted a photo from the protest on Facebook with a caption that continued to accuse Awit.
Defense and Counterarguments
In defense of the project's quality, Awit cited a report from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which attributed the riprap's failure to adverse weather conditions causing soil weakening, not poor workmanship. In his counter-affidavit, Ligas asserted that he was merely exercising his right to free expression and advocating for transparency in the use of government funds for flood control projects. The prosecutor, in dismissing the cyber libel charge, noted that the context of Ligas's Facebook post was a call for government action on alleged anomalies in flood control, including ghost projects, rather than a direct attack on an individual's reputation.
